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THE 



YOSEM ITE 



BY 



WALLACE BRUCE 



■I 



ILLUSTRATED BY 

JAMES D. SMILLIE. 



•o-«>-o. 



PUBLISHED BY 

LEE AND SHEPARD^ 

BOSTON, MASS. 

CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM 

NEW YORK. 
l88o. 




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Copyright, 1880, Wallace Bruce. 



S. W. Green's Son, Photo-Engraving go. 

Printer, . (Moss Process), 

NEW YORK. NEW YORK. 



^ist at <§tlttstrEltcras, 

BY 

JAS. D. SMILLIE. 



FRONTISPIECE — "To Annie." 

STANZA I. 
"Sentinel Rock froi7i Hatching's Meadow." 

STANZA IT. 
Cathedral Rock and Spires from foot of Eagle Point! 

STANZA III. 
" El Capitan from Bridal Veil Meadow." 

STANZA IV. 

" Yet I know it is real, for I see the spray 
Of Yose?nite Fall in the moonlight play!' 

STANZA V. 
"And I know that Bethel is everywhere, 
For prayer is the foot of the Angel Stair" 

STANZA VI. 
" Eagle Rock and Sentinel Peak" 



STANZA VII. 
" Glacier Rock from Tenaya Canon." 

STANZA VIII. 
" South Dome and Cloud's Rest." 

STANZA IX. 
" Mirror Lake and Tenaya Canon." 

STANZA X. 
" Glacier Rock, Vernal Point \ and Mt. Starr King." 

STANZA XI. 
"Nevada and Vernal Falls and the High Sierras! 

STANZA XII. 
" Po-ho-no, or Bridal Veil Fall." 

STANZA XIII. 
" The Cap of Liberty and Nevada Fall." 

STANZA XIV. 
11 Yosemite Valley from Cloud's Rest." 

FINIS. 
" Yosemite Fall and Merced River.' 



THE YOSEMITE. 



=. Waiting to-night for the 
moon to rise, 
O'er the cliffs that 

narrow Yosemite's 
skies ; 




Waiting for shadows to pass away, 
In the silver light of a midnight day ; 
Waiting entranced like one in a dream, 
Alone with the night and the rushing stream. 






III. 



But the darkling shadows dissolve, and now 
The moonlight touches " El Capitan's" brow, 




And the lesser stars grow pale and dim 
Along the sheer-cut mountain rim ; 
And, touched with magic, the gray walls stand 
The living dream of a fairy land. 



IV. 



Yet I know it is real, 

for I see the spray 
Of Yosemite Fall in 

the moonlight play, 
Swaying and trembling — 

a radiant glow, 
From the sky above 

to the vale below ; 
Like the ladder of old 

to Jacob given, 
A line of light from 

earth to heaven. 




V. 



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And there comes to my soul 

a vision dear 
Of angel forms 

and voices here ; 
And I feel the sweet and 

wondrous power 
Of a Presence that fills 

the midnight hour ; 
And I know that Bethel 

is everywhere — 
For prayer is the foot 

of the angel stair. 




VI. 



A light divine — a holy rest — 
Floods all the valley 

and fills my breast ; 
The very mountains are 

hushed in sleep, 




From Eagle Point 

to Sentinel Peak 
And a life-long lesson is 

taught me to-night, 
When shrouded in shadow 
to wait for the light. 



vii. 



Waiting at dawn for the morn to break, 
By the crystal waters of Mirror Lake ; 
Waiting to see the mountains gray, 
Clearly defined in the light of day ; 
Reflected and throned in beauty here — 
A lakelet that seems but "The Valley's Tear. ,, 




VIII 



Waiting— but look ! for the Dome so bright 
Is floating now in a sea of light ; 
And Cloud's Rest, glistening 

with caps of snow, 
Inverted stands in 

the vale below, 




With tow'ring peaks 

and cliffs on high 
* Hanging to meet another sky. 



IX. 



O crystal gem in setting rare! 




O soul-like mirror 

in middle air ! 
'O forest-heart of 

eternal love — 
Earth-born, but pure 
as heaven above ! 
This Sabbath morn 

we find in thee 
The poet's dream of purity. 



X. 



The hours pass by, and I'm waiting now 

On Glacier Point's o'erhanging brow, 
Waiting to see the picture pass, 
Like the fleeting show 

of a magic glass — 
Waiting — and still 

the vision seems 
Woven of light and 

colored with dreams. 





But the cloud-capped towers, 
and pillars gray, 
Securely stand in 

the light of day ; 
The Temple wall is 

firm and sure ; 
The worshippers pass, 

but It shall endure — 
And will while loud 

Yosemite calls 
To bright Nevada and Vernal Falls. 



XII. 

O grand and majestic organ-choir 
With deep-toned voices that never tire ! 
O anthem written in notes that glow- 
On the rainbow bars of Po-ho-no ! 




O sweet "Te Deum" forever sung 

With spray of incense heavenward swung ! 



XIII. 



H Thy music my soul with rapture thrills, 
^^^^i^^^^^&^^^^^i And there comes to my lips, 

■m " The templed hills, 
Thy rocks and rills" 

— a nation's song, 
From valley to mountain 
borne along ; 





O country reaching 

from shore to shore ! 
O fairest land the 

wide world o'er ! 
Columbia dear, 

whose mountains rise 
From fertile valleys to sunny skies — 
Stand firm and sure, and bold and free, 
As thy granite- walled Yosemite ! 




YOSEMITE FALL AND MERCED RIVER. 



